Jeff Trombley Extends CRSA Sprint Car Point Lead With Penn Can Victory Friday
Story By: STEVEN OVENS / CRSA – SUSQUEHANNA, PA – The Super Gen Products with Champion Power Equipment CRSA Sprints joined a full night of exciting action for the second time in 2021 and the twenty-eighth time in track history at Gary Folk’s Penn Can Speedway in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania.
Jeff Trombley has had the consistency in 2021 that led him to 2017, 2018 and 2019 CRSA Sprints series titles. But prior to Friday night Trombley hadn’t scored a win since September of 2019 at Fonda Speedway. That all changed with a dominating 25-lap performance at Penn Can.
Trombley drew the outside pole alongside Dan Craun and would win the battle of initial green flag gamesmanship. Craun was left to grapple with August 2020 Penn Can winner and second-high point man Josh Flint. Flint made quick work of Craun to take over the second spot while Trombley started to pull away.
Behind the battle for the lead Dana Wagner and Darryl Ruggles were slicing their way through the pack from their eighth and ninth starting spots. Wagner logged another Top 5 effort while Ruggles would end his night in sixth.
Flint had two different opportunities to try and close the gap on Trombley. Trombley first caught the No. 4 of Hank Katz and carefully negotiated his way by and allowed Flint to close within a single car length. Trombley cleared Katz and pulled away again until he caught Mesa, Arizona’s Brandon Sampson and early night heat race winner Ronnie Greek.
The slower traffic raced side-by-side but with ten laps to go Trombley caught a break and cleared both cars before Flint had cleared the first car. That turned into the difference as Trombley was able to hold on over the final set of circuits to see his first checkered flag of 2021. It was Trombley’s ninth career win, tying him with Darryl Ruggles for 4th all-time with the CRSA Sprints.
Flint had to settle for second, Craun scored his first Top 5 and best finish of the season with third, Pierce fourth and Wagner the Top 5.
“We took advantage of a good starting spot and the guys got the car really good- probably the best I’ve ever had here (Penn Can),” said Trombley in McDonald’s Victory Lane.
Flint was right there several times but just couldn’t make it work to get by the leader.
“There’s a reason (Trombley) is a three-time champion. He and Warren are a good combination and they’re a real strong team, but we were right there with them. We’re not letting them off the hook that easy this year.”
Dan Craun had a career best wrong and seemed as though the cat had stolen his tongue after grabbing his first podium of 2021.
“Hopefully we got this thing dialed in and we can keep the consistency going.”
The Powdertech Powdercoating Hard Charger Bonus was split between Dana Wagner and Darryl Ruggles who both gained three spots.
Craun’s first podium finish of the season earned him the “Maguire Family of Dealerships Magnificent Move of the Race.”
The award drivers are appreciative of but don’t necessarily want to see at night’s end was awarded to Hank Katz. A 13th place finish and some contact with the backstretch concrete saw Katz receive the “Midstate Basement Authorities Out of the Basement” award.
CRSA Penn Can Notes:
Ronnie Greek and Matt Priscott got their Penn Can Speedway race nights off to a great start with Greek capturing his first Heat race win of the 2021 campaign. Priscott got his night off to a positive- drawing well and maintaining his position in a tough heat race to make the redraw.
Jordan Hutton could not say the same in the luck department. Hutton debuted a new engine under the hood of the JB Logging No. 66, but during the heats would pull out of the groove and come to a stop. The engine let go and ended his first trip to Penn Can Speedway extremely premature.
CRSA ushered in a new competitor to their roster for 2021 as Brandon Sampson joined the field from Mesa, Arizona. At the tender age of 15, Sampson has been racing since he was 5 years old in various divisions. Without many options to race 305 Sprints in Arizona, Sampson has been racing all across the US including California, Texas, Nebraska & South Dakota. Penn Can Speedway added the state of Pennsylvania and a Saturday trip to Paul Cole’s Land of Legends Raceway will add New York to make it 6 states.
Next on the schedule for the Super Gen Products / Champion Power Equipment CRSA Sprints is a July 24th trip to the Fonda Fairgrounds to the Brett Deyo-promoted Fonda Speedway for a $1,000-to-win show. Following that date will be a double dip at Land of Legends Raceway on Saturday August 14th where the CRSA Sprints will make up a feature from June 19th along with a complete program of heats and an A-Main.
SUPER GEN PRODUCTS CRSA SPRINTS @ PENN CAN SPEEDWAY OFFICIAL RESULTS- Friday July 23rd, 2021:
A-MAIN RESULTS (25 Laps): 1. 3A-Jeff Trombley[2] ($500); 2. 41J-Josh Flint[3]; 3. 18C-Dan Craun[1]; 4. 9K-Kyle Pierce[4]; 5. 25W-Dana Wagner[8]; 6. 48JR-Darryl Ruggles[9]; 7. 22M-Matt Priscott[6]; 8. 112-Mike VanPelt[7]; 9. 13T-Trevor Years[10]; 10. 96S-Brandon Sampson[12]; 11. 28-Ron Greek[5]; 12. J27-John Cunningham[11]; 13. (DNF) 4-Hank Katz[14]; 14. (DNS) 66-Jordan Hutton
Powdertech Powdercoating Hard Charger Bonus: 25W Dana Wagner & 48JR Darryl Ruggles ($20 each)
Maguire Family of Dealerships “Magnificent Move of the Race”: 18C Dan Craun $25
Midstate Basement Authorities “Out of the Basement” Bonus: 4 Hank Katz $25
Heats (8 laps)
#1: 28 Ronnie Greek, 18C Dan Craun, 41J Josh Flint, 112 Mike Van Pelt, 48JR Darryl Ruggles, J27 John Cunningham, 66 Jordan Hutton
